Renesas Unveils Next Gen IGBTs for EVs
New power chips to be manufactured at newly established 300mm Kofu factory
Renesas Electronics has announced the development of a new generation of Si-IGBTs which will be offered in a small footprint while providing low power losses.
Aimed at next generation electric vehicle (EVs) inverters, AE5-generation IGBTs will be mass produced starting in the first half of 2023 on Renesas’ 200- and 300-mm wafer lines at the company’s factory in Naka, Japan. Additionally, Renesas will ramp up production starting in the first half of 2024 at its new power semiconductor 300-mm wafer fab in Kofu, Japan to meet the growing demand for power semiconductor products.
The silicon based AE5 process for IGBTs achieve a 10 percent reduction in power losses compared to the current-generation AE4 products, a power savings that will help EV developers save battery power and increase driving range. In addition, the new products are approximately 10 percent smaller while maintaining high robustness. The new Renesas devices achieve the industry’s highest level of performance for IGBTs by optimally balancing low power loss and robustness trade offs. Moreover, the new IGBTs significantly improve performance and safety as modules by minimising parameter variations among the IGBTs and providing stability when operating IGBTs in parallel. These features provide engineers greater flexibility to design smaller inverters that achieve high performance.
“Demand for automotive power semiconductors is rapidly growing, as EVs become more widely available,” said Katsuya Konishi, Vice President of Renesas' Power System Business Division. “Renesas' IGBTs provide highly reliable, robust power solutions that build on our experience in manufacturing automotive-grade power products for the last seven years. With the latest devices soon to be in mass production, we are providing optimal features and cost performance for mid-range EV inverters that are expected to grow rapidly in the future."
There are four products targeting 400-800V inverters: 750V withstand voltage (220A and 300A) and 1200V withstand voltage (150A and 200A). they are said to provide steady performance throughout the operating junction temperature (Tj) range from -40°C to 175°C. Renesas says they offer industry's highest performance level with an on-voltage Vce (saturation voltage) of 1.3V, a key value for minimising power loss.
